Public Information
The County Administrative Office maintains the county's public information function to assist in providing valuable information to the public, particularly in times of emergency. The County Administrative Office provides this service on a daily basis by:
- Acting as a point of contact for county information to assist the news media, residents, county employees and other local, state and national agencies.
- Writing and disseminating county press releases, brochures and other written or visual publications.
- Working with multiple departments to develop and maintain the county's social media presence.
- Researching and coordinating the county's responses to California Public Records Act requests that involve multiple departments.
Media Inquiries and Press Releases
For inquiries from the general public or media, please email cao@co.humbolt.ca.us.
Community members who wish to revive the latest county press releases are encouraged to sign up to receive the county's press release updates.
To review the latest county news or archived press releases, please review the county's press release archive.
California Public Records Act Requests
California Public Records Act FAQs
What is the California Public Records Act (CPRA)? The CPRA was passed by the California Legislature in 1968 for government agencies and requires that government records be disclosed to the public, upon request, unless there are privacy and/or public safety exemptions which would prevent doing so. Please see the California Attorney General’s Office Summary of the California Public Records Act for additional information.
What is a Public Record? Government Code §7920.530 defines a public record as “any writing containing information relating to the conduct of the public's business prepared, owned, used or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics."
The County of Humboldt respects the public’s right to access records created and maintained by the county in the course of normal business.
Please Review Prior to Making a Records Request
Please ensure the records you are requesting are under the County of Humboldt’s purview and what the county oversees as a local agency. For example, the County of Humboldt has no records related to the regular business of agencies such as the Humboldt County Superior Court, incorporated cities of Arcata, Blue Lake, Eureka, Ferndale, Fortuna, Rio Dell and Trinidad and the many community service districts located within Humboldt County.
The California Public Records Act (CPRA) does not require the creation or preparation of a record or document that does not exist at the time of the request. Additionally, certain categories of personal information and records are exempt from disclosure under the CPRA. Other laws also protect individual privacy interests and other propriety information from disclosure.
Please ensure that you narrow your request to that which reasonably identifies the desired records that the County of Humboldt may have in its possession in order for staff to more efficiently search for and promptly provide responsive documents.
Please make every effort to research the county records you are requesting, prior to submitting your request. A vast amount of information, resources and records are already available on this website, by utilizing the search tool, or browsing the topics related to your request.
Common questions and requests for information might be found using the following resources:
- Humboldt County Board of Supervisors Meeting Agendas and Minutes
- Clerk-Recorder’s Office Vital Records (Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates)
- Office of Elections - Elections Database
- Sheriff’s Office – Autopsy or Toxicology Reports
- Sheriff’s Office - Law Enforcement Records
- Previously Closed Humboldt County Public Records Requests
Please note that the 10-day period mentioned in the Government Code §7922.535 is not a deadline for producing records.
Should the request be voluminous, require research, or computer programming, the County of Humboldt may need a reasonable amount of time to research, review and inspect records prior to release; therefore, it may take longer before the records can be made available.
Upon receipt of your request, the County of Humboldt will make every effort to keep you apprised of response timeframes.
Information to Include with Your Request
Pursuant to Government Code §7922.600, in order to make a focused and effective request for county records, please include the following applicable information to ensure the scope of your request is narrow and clear enough for us to determine if the County of Humboldt has the records you are seeking:
- The subject of the record.
- A clear, concise and specific description of the record(s) being requested (for example: emails, memos, videos, memos, staff reports, etc.).
- Full names for the individuals and/or county departments/divisions included in your request, including proper spelling.
- Full email addresses if requesting email documents, including proper spelling.
- The date(s) of the record(s), or a time period for your request (for example: July 1, 2020 to Jan. 1, 2021).
- Any additional information that helps staff identify the record(s) being requested.
- Your contact information for response to your request, preferable an email address. Please provide a phone number where you can be reached if no email address is available.
Make a Public Records Act Request
Submit Your Own Online Request for County of Humboldt Records
Requests will also be received in writing by regular mail, email, fax or hand-delivery. In-person verbal requests and requests over the phone will be accepted only during regular business hours and should be directed to the relevant county department. Contact information for each county department or division is available on the staff directory web page.
If you have questions about placing a request for public records, please email cao@co.humboldt.ca.us or call 707-445-7266.